It happened on December 2nd on the 2900 block of Cadogan Drive in Greenwood.

Avart appeared in court on Monday for the first time. He held his head down and did not speak. Police say Avart and Perry were both romantically involved with the same woman.

“He’s making harassing phone calls to Andrew and was spoofing the phone calls to appear that they were coming from someone else,” said Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox.

Cox held a news conference on Monday. Authorities says Avart stalked Perry for months, stopping by his home and peering into his windows. They say Perry filed two police reports for harassment. According to Cox, a couple days before the murder, Avart followed Perry home. The night before the murder, Avart allegedly parked his truck in front of Perry’s house, watching Perry and the woman.

On December 2nd, Sheriff Cox says Avart broke into Perry’s home, “To the seasoned investigator, it appeared that it was made to look like a burglary and or a bad drug deal.”

Investigators believe Avart staged a robbery, ransacking the kitchen and leaving a fake bag of cocaine near the body.

“That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when you’re thinking of a burglary. You’re thinking of guns, jewelry, valuables like that,” said Sheriff Cox.

Using an object like a screw driver or ice pick, police believe Avart stabbed Perry in the head, piercing his skull. His death has been ruled a homicide due “a combination of penetrating and blunt force injuries to the head.”

On December 16, Avart admitted to being at the victim’s home and entering without permission to discuss Perry’s relationship with the woman. Avart was armed with a pistol at the time of the confrontation.

Avart stated he shot Perry in the head because he thought Perry would hurt him. Investigators were able to tie Avart to the scene using GPS. Police say his initial statements contradict evidence. If convicted he faces up to 65 years behind bars.